System for establishing communications with a mobile device server

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computer-readable storage medium operating in a mobile device server having computer instructions to execute a web server application in the mobile device server. The web server application can be operable to cause a media processor to invoke a software application in the mobile device server. The mobile device server can support voice communications over a cellular communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to device communicationtechniques and more specifically to a system for establishingcommunications with a mobile device server.

BACKGROUND

Media communication systems such as interactive television (iTV) systemscan deliver media content to media processors such as set-top boxes(STBs). Generally, media content can be broadcast by these systems anddelivered according to the type of services users have subscribed to. Ininteractive media communication systems, users can also request serviceson demand. Portable media devices such as mobile phones or media playerssuch as the iPod™ can also be adapted to communicate with mediaprocessors over a wireless medium. The combined services of portable andfixed media devices can provide users a rich environment for utilizingmultimedia services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 depict illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal interacting withthe communication systems of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication deviceutilized in the communication systems of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the systems described in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system operatingaccording to the method of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments of a mobile device server for establishing communicationsand exchanging messages with media devices capable of supplying mediacontent of various forms.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a portable telephonehaving a controller to execute a web server application in the portabletelephone. The web server application can be operable to detect aset-top box (STB), and transmit a message to a server by way of agateway assigned to a first Internet Protocol (IP) responsive todetecting the STB. The server can operate in an interactive televisionnetwork remote from a location of the STB. The message can include anidentifier of a software application in the portable telephone and asecond IP address associated with the software application. The servercan be operable to identify the STB and media services assigned theretoaccording to the first IP address of the gateway, and direct the STB toinvoke the software application in the portable telephone according tothe second IP address. The web server application can further beoperable to receive a request from the STB to execute the softwareapplication according to the second IP address, and execute the softwareapplication to establish media communication services between theportable telephone and the STB.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a server having acontroller to receive a message from a web server application operatingin a portable telephone by way of a gateway communicatively coupled tothe server, detect an identifier of the gateway, and establishcommunications with a media processor according to the identifier of thegateway; and direct the media processor to invoke the softwareapplication in the portable telephone according to the IP address. Themessage can include a request to invoke a software application in theportable telephone, and wherein the software application is associatedwith an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium operating in a mobile device serverhaving computer instructions to execute a web server application in themobile device server. The web server application can be operable tocause a media processor to invoke a software application in the mobiledevice server. The mobile device server can support voice communicationsover a cellular communication system.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 100 for delivering media content. The communication system 100can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system. TheIPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 110 with atleast one super headend office server (SHS) 111 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent audio content, moving imagecontent such as videos, still image content, or combinations thereof.The SHS server 111 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 114 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 112 according to a common multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 114 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 118 to commercial and/or residential buildings 102 housing agateway 104 (such as a common residential or commercial gateway). Theaccess network 118 can represent a group of digital subscriber lineaccess multiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a servicearea interface that provide broadband services over optical links orcopper twisted pairs 119 to buildings 102. The gateway 104 can usecommon communication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 106 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 108 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 107 (such as aninfrared or RF remote control).

The gateway 104, the media processors 106, and media devices 108 canutilize tethered interface technologies (such as coaxial or phone linewiring) or can operate over a common wireless access protocol such asWireless Fidelity (WiFi). With these interfaces, unicast communicationscan be invoked between the media processors 106 and subsystems of theIPTV media system for services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsingan electronic programming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 129 can be used also in themedia system of FIG. 1. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 100. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 115 carrying mediacontent can be received by a common satellite dish receiver 131 coupledto the building 102. Modulated signals received by the satellite dishreceiver 131 can be transferred to the media processors 106 for decodingand distributing broadcast channels to the media devices 108. The mediaprocessors 106 can be equipped with a broadband port to the ISP network132 to enable services such as VoD and EPG described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 133 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system 129 as another representative embodiment of communicationsystem 100. In this embodiment the cable TV system 133 can provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services also.

It is contemplated that the present disclosure can apply to any presentor next generation over-the-air and/or landline media content servicessystem.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 130, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing portal services over an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) network 132 to wireline media devices 108 or wirelesscommunication devices 116. The portal services can be provided usingvarious components and/or techniques, including by way of a wirelessaccess base station 117 operating according to common wireless accessprotocols such as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), or cellular communicationtechnologies (such as GSM, CDMA, UMTS, WiMAX, Software Defined Radio orSDR, and so on).

System 100 can provide for all or a portion of the computing devices 130to function as a remote server (herein referred to as server 130). Theserver 130 can use common computing and communication technology toperform the function of processing requests generated by a web serverapplication operating in portable communication devices, such as thoseshown in reference 108 or 116 as will be described further below.

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 200employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network architecture tofacilitate the combined services of circuit-switched and packet-switchedsystems. Communication system 200 can be overlaid or operably coupledwith communication system 100 as another representative embodiment ofcommunication system 100.

Communication system 200 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)240, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 230, and other commonnetwork elements of an IMS network 250. The IMS network 250 canestablish communications between IMS compliant communication devices(CD) 201, 202, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 203, 205,and combinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function(MGCF) 220 coupled to a PSTN network 260. The MGCF 220 is not used whena communication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Anycommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD requires the use ofthe MGCF 220.

IMS CDs 201, 202 can register with the IMS network 250 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with acorresponding Serving CSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with at the HSS240. To initiate a communication session between CDs, an originating IMSCD 201 can submit a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message toan originating P-CSCF 204 which communicates with a correspondingoriginating S-CSCF 206. The originating S-CSCF 206 can submit queries tothe ENUM system 230 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIPINVITE to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS compliant.

The SIP URI can be used by an Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 207 to submita query to the HSS 240 to identify a terminating S-CSCF 214 associatedwith a terminating IMS CD such as reference 202. Once identified, theI-CSCF 207 can submit the SIP INVITE to the terminating S-CSCF 214. Theterminating S-CSCF 214 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 216associated with the terminating CD 202. The P-CSCF 216 then signals theCD 202 to establish communications.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such asreferences 203 or 205, the ENUM system 230 can respond with anunsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originating S-CSCF206 to forward the call to the MGCF 220 via a Breakout Gateway ControlFunction (BGCF) 219. The MGCF 220 can then initiate the call to theterminating PSTN CD by common means over the PSTN network 260.

The aforementioned communication process is symmetrical. Accordingly,the terms “originating” and “terminating” in FIG. 2 are interchangeable.It is further noted that communication system 200 can be adapted tosupport video conferencing. In addition, communication system 200 can beadapted to provide the IMS CDs 201, 203 the multimedia and Internetservices of communication system 100.

System 200 can include or otherwise be coupled with server 130 of FIG. 1for purposes similar to those described above. It is furthercontemplated by the present disclosure that a web server can operatefrom any of the communication devices (e.g., references 201, 202, 203,and 205) depicted in FIG. 2 as will be described below.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a portal 302 which canoperate from the computing devices 130 described earlier ofcommunication 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. The portal 302 can be used formanaging services of communication systems 100-200. The portal 302 canbe accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with a common Internetbrowser such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer™ using an Internet-capablecommunication device such as those described for FIGS. 1-2. The portal302 can be configured, for example, to access a media processor 106 andservices managed thereby such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), a VoDcatalog, an EPG, a personal catalog (such as personal videos, pictures,audio recordings, etc.) stored in the media processor, provisioning IMSservices described earlier, provisioning Internet services, provisioningcellular phone services, and so on.

It is contemplated by the present disclosure that the web portal 302 canbe utilized to manage operations of a mobile device server and/oroperate as a remote server as described below.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a communication device 400.Communication device 400 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the communication devices of FIGS. 1-2. Thecommunication device 400 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 402 (herein transceiver 402), a user interface (UI) 404, apower supply 414, a location receiver 416, and a controller 406 formanaging operations thereof. The transceiver 402 can support short-rangeor long-range wireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi,Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellularcommunication technologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologiescan include, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE,EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, and next generation cellular wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 402 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCPIP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 404 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 408 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, joystick, mouse, ornavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device400. The keypad 408 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 400 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 408 canrepresent a numeric dialing keypad commonly used by phones, and/or aQwerty keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 404 can further include adisplay 410 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 400. Inan embodiment where the display 410 is touch-sensitive, a portion or allof the keypad 408 can be presented by way of the display.

The UI 404 can also include an audio system 412 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such asspeakerphone for hands free operation). The audio system 412 can furtherinclude a microphone for receiving audible signals of an end user. Theaudio system 412 can also be used for voice recognition applications.The UI 404 can further include an image sensor 413 such as a chargedcoupled device (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 414 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 400 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. The location receiver 416 canutilize common location technology such as a global positioning system(GPS) receiver for identifying a location of the communication device400 based on signals generated by a constellation of GPS satellites,thereby facilitating common location services such as navigation.

The communication device 400 can use the transceiver 402 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi or Bluetooth access point bycommon power sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA) or timeof flight (TOF). The controller 406 can utilize computing technologiessuch as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and/or avideo processor with associated storage memory such a Flash, ROM, RAM,SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

The communication device 400 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 106, the media devices 108, or the portablecommunication devices 116 of FIG. 1, as well as the IMS CDs 201-202 andPSTN CDs 203-205 of FIG. 2. It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 400 can also represent other common devices thatcan operate in communication systems 100-200 of FIGS. 1-2 such as agaming console and a media player. It is further contemplated by thepresent disclosure that the communication device 400 can operate as amobile device server from which a web server application operates asdescribed below.

FIG. 5 depicts illustrative embodiments of a method 500 that operates inportions of the devices of FIGS. 1-4. Method 500 can begin with step 502in which a mobile device server 604 such as shown in FIG. 6 executes aweb server application. Step 502 can be initiated by a user manipulatingthe user interface of the mobile device server 604, or can beautomatically initiated by other triggers (e.g., time of day, userprofile, or combinations thereof). The mobile device server 604 canrepresent a portable telephone such as a cellular telephone or cordlesstelephone comprising in whole or in part the components of thecommunication device shown in FIG. 4 and described in accompanying text.It will be appreciated that the mobile device server 604 can be any typeof portable telephony device which can execute a web server application.Other embodiments of the mobile device server 604 such as an iPAD™ or aPersonal Digital Assistant (PDA) executing a web server application aretherefore contemplated by the present disclosure. For illustrationpurposes, the present disclosure will make references to the componentsshown in FIG. 4 when discussing the operations of the mobile deviceserver 604.

A web server application can represent a hypertext transfer protocol(HTTP) web server application implemented in software, hardware orcombinations thereof operating from the controller 406 of the mobiledevice server 604. A web server application can also be represented byany web server application used by a server or hosting computer system.Accordingly, any type of web server application operational in a mobiledevice server 604 is contemplated by the present disclosure.

With this in mind, attention is redirected to FIG. 5. The web serverapplication in the mobile device server 604 can be operable to detect instep 504 a need to establish communications with a media processor 606such as the STB 106 shown in FIG. 1. Step 504 can represent the webserver application of the mobile device server 604 scanning for mediaresources in building 602 by way of a residential gateway 608 providingaccess to a wireless network. The residential gateway 608 can be a WiFirouter and modem combination which is communicatively coupled to anInternet Service Provider (ISP) network 610 by way of a wired interfacesuch as a coaxial cable or telephone wire interface.

The web server application of the mobile device server 604 can scan forthe presence of media resources such as the media processor 606 byrequesting information from the residential gateway 608. The residentialgateway 608 can transmit to the mobile device server 604 a list of theactive devices on the WiFi network. Alternatively, or in combination,the web server application of the mobile device server 604 can transmita broadcast message on the WiFi network requesting identification of thedevices communicatively coupled to the WiFi network. Otheridentification techniques are contemplated by the present disclosure.

Once the media processor 106 has been discovered by the web serverapplication operating from the mobile device server 604, the web serverapplication can present the detected media resource(s) to a user overthe UI 404 of the mobile device server 604. The user can manipulate theUI 404 as previously described to indicate a desire to establishcommunications with the media processor 606, thereby establishing theneed described in step 504 of FIG. 5. Alternatively, or in combination,the need to establish communications with the media processor 606 can bedetected from a prior history of user actions, a profile established bythe user of the mobile device server 606 indicating a preference forestablishing communications with the media processor 606, or any othertriggers that may be definable by user behavior or user establishedsettings.

In step 506, the web server application in the mobile device server 604can initiate a URL directed to the remote server 612 by way of theresidential gateway 608. The following URL is an illustrative embodimentof a URL that can be initiated by the mobile device server 604:

http://someServer.com/launchApp?special app=http://<IP address of MDSx.x.x.x>/mrml.xml.

The illustrative URL can include a domain name of the remote server 612and instructions to launch a specific software application executable bythe web server application in the mobile device server 604. The URL canalso include an IP address of the mobile device server 604 which can beused to launch the software application.

In step 508, the residential gateway 608 can invoke the URL and inserttherewith the IP address assigned to the residential gateway 608. Theserver 612 can receive the URL message by way of the ISP network 610 ofFIG. 6. The server 612 can in turn identify in step 510 from an HTTPheader of the URL message the IP address of the residential gateway 608.The server 612 can also identify from the URL message the softwareapplication to be invoked at the mobile device server 604 (e.g.,special_app), and the IP address associated with the softwareapplication which can be used to identify the software applicationand/or the mobile device server 604.

In step 512, the remote server 612 can authenticate the request from themobile device server 604 with the IP address of the mobile device server604 or some other identifier added to the URL message (e.g., MAC addressof the mobile device server 604). If the server 612 does not recognizethe mobile device server 604 in step 614, method 500 can cease.Otherwise, if authentication is successful, the server 612 can proceedto step 516. Authentication of the mobile device server 604 can bedelegated to the media processor 606, in which case steps 512 and 514would be bypassed.

At step 516, the server 612 can be operable to locate the mediaprocessor 606 and media services associated therewith according to thedetected IP address of the residential gateway 608. The server 612 canlocate the media processor 606 from a look-up table in a database 614operating as a Domain Name Server (DNS), a subscriber database, orcombinations thereof. Once the media processor 606 and servicesassociated therewith have been identified, the server 612 can transmitto the media processor 606 in step 518 a URL message to invoke thesoftware application in the mobile device server 604 according to the IPaddress of the mobile device server 604. The following is anillustrative embodiment of a URL message that can be transmitted to themedia processor 606: http://<IP address of MDS x.x.x.x>/mrml.xml.

Once the media processor 606 invokes this URL in step 520, the webserver application in the mobile device server 604 can be operable toexecute the software application in step 522 and thereby establish aninitial state of communications with the media processor 606.Authentication of the mobile device server 604 can take place in steps524-526 prior to enabling media communication services between themobile device server 604 and the media processor 606. In step 524, themobile device server 604 can transmit authentication data to the mediaprocessor 606. The authentication data can comprise, for example, asecurity key provided by the service provider of the interactivecommunication systems of FIGS. 1-2. The security key can be encrypteddata, a public key infrastructure (PKI) key, a personal identificationnumber (PIN), login or password, or other form of security technology.The security key can be utilize to prevent mobile device servers 604from utilizing media services of the communication systems of FIGS. 1-2unless authorized by the service provider of these systems.

If the authentication data is invalid or not recognized, method 500ceases. Otherwise, the media processor 606 proceeds to step 528 where itenable media communication services between the mobile device server 604and the media processor 606. Media communication services can conform toa markup language such as multimedia retrieval markup language (MRML) oran extensible markup language (XML). Other markup languages arecontemplated by the present disclosure. In step 530, the web serverapplication operating in the mobile device server 604 can control mediaservices of the media processor with an exchange of markup languageinstructions transmitted over the WiFi network in the premises 602. Theweb server application, for example, can direct the media processor 606to store and/or present media content supplied by the mobile deviceserver 604, or can request media content from the media processor 606.Other exchanges between the mobile device server 604 and the mediaprocessor 606 are contemplated by the present disclosure.

The aforementioned disclosure contemplates a mobile device server 604that among other things is capable of detecting media resources which itcan prompt by way of a server 612 to invoke one or more softwareapplications operating from the mobile device server 604. By mobilizinga web server by way of a mobile device server 604 as described above itis no longer necessary for media resources to be managed exclusively byway of infrastructure devices such as those shown in FIGS. 1-3, whichare generally not portable.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below. For example, method 500 can beadapted so that a mobile device server 604 can communicate with othermobile device servers. In this configuration one of the mobile deviceservers 604 can function in part as the media processor 606 of FIG. 6.The remote server 612 can perform the functions of FIG. 5 depending onthe functions of each of the mobile device servers 604.

Other suitable modifications can be applied to the present disclosurewithout departing from the scope of the claims below. Accordingly, thereader is directed to the claims section for a fuller understanding ofthe breadth and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 700 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed above. The machine can operate, for example, asthe mobile device server 604, the media processor 606, the gateway 608,the remote server 612, or combinations thereof as described above. Insome embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device. In someembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network) toother machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate inthe capacity of a server or a client user machine in server-client usernetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktopcomputer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or anymachine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly anyelectronic device that provides voice, video or data communication.Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 700 may include a processor 702 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 704 and a static memory 706, which communicate with each othervia a bus 708. The computer system 700 may further include a videodisplay unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, asolid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system700 may include an input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 714 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 716, a signal generationdevice 718 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 720.

The disk drive unit 716 may include a machine-readable medium 722 onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 724)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 724may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 704, the static memory 706, and/or within the processor 702during execution thereof by the computer system 700. The main memory 704and the processor 702 also may constitute machine-readable media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containinginstructions 724, or that which receives and executes instructions 724from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a networkenvironment 726 can send or receive voice, video or data, and tocommunicate over the network 726 using the instructions 724. Theinstructions 724 may further be transmitted or received over a network726 via the network interface device 720.

While the machine-readable medium 722 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure.

The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memorycard or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile)memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile)memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape;and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-containedinformation archive or set of archives is considered a distributionmedium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, thedisclosure is considered to include any one or more of amachine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable device, comprising: a memory to storeinstructions; and a controller in communication with the memory, whereinthe controller, responsive to executing the instructions, executes a webserver application in the portable device, wherein the web serverapplication is operable to perform first operations comprising:detecting a set-top box; and transmitting, responsive to the detectingof the set-up top box, a message to a server by way of a gateway,wherein the gateway is in wireless communication with the controller andassigned to a first internet protocol address, wherein the serveroperates in an interactive television network remote from a location ofthe set-top box, and wherein the message comprises an identifier of asoftware application of the portable device and a second internetprotocol address associated with the software application; wherein themessage causes the server to perform second operations comprising:identifying the set-top box and media services assigned thereto by wayof the first internet protocol address of the gateway, and directing theset-top box to invoke the software application in the portable device byway of the second internet protocol address, wherein the firstoperations further comprise: receiving a request from the set-top box toexecute the software application by way of the second internet protocoladdress; and executing the software application to establish mediacommunication services between the portable device and the set-top box.2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the web server applicationcorresponds to a hypertext transfer protocol server.
 3. The portabledevice of claim 1, wherein the media communication services between theportable device and the set-top box conform in part to a markuplanguage.
 4. The portable device of claim 3, wherein the markup languagecorresponds to an extensible markup language.
 5. The portable device ofclaim 1, wherein the message comprises a uniform resource locator with aplurality of descriptors that identify the software application and thesecond internet protocol address.
 6. The portable device of claim 1,wherein the transmitting of the message causes the gateway to insert thefirst internet protocol address into an hypertext transfer protocolheader of the message.
 7. The portable device of claim 1, wherein theweb server application manages operations of the set-top box responsiveto establishing the media communication services between the portabledevice and the set-top box.
 8. The portable device of claim 1, whereinthe portable device is selected from a group consisting of: a portabletelephone; a cellular telephone; a cordless telephone; a media player; agaming console; a personal digital computer; a personal computer; atable computer; and a laptop computer, and wherein the web serverapplication submits a request to the set-top box to receive streamingmedia content.
 9. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the web serverapplication transmits authentication data to the set-top box to enablethe media communication services between the portable device and theset-top box.
 10. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the messagecomprises an identifier of the portable device to enable the server toauthorize a request submitted by the web server application to establishthe media communication services between the portable device and theset-top box.
 11. A server, comprising: a memory to store computerinstructions; and a controller in communication with the memory, whereinthe controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions,performs operations comprising: receiving a message transmitted from aweb server application operating in a portable device, wherein themessage is transmitted in response to the portable device detecting aset-top box and by way of a gateway in wireless communication with theportable device and communicatively coupled to the server, wherein theweb server application in the portable device detects a request toestablish media communication services with a media processor andtransmits the message to the server responsive to the request; detectingan identifier of the gateway, wherein the message comprises a request toinvoke a software application in the portable device, and wherein thesoftware application is associated with an internet protocol address;establishing communications with the media processor by way of theidentifier of the gateway; and directing the media processor to invokethe software application in the portable device by way of the internetprotocol address supplied by the web server application, whereininvocation of the software application in the portable device causes theportable device to perform second operations comprising: executing thesoftware application by way of the internet protocol address; andestablishing media communication services with the media processorresponsive to executing the software application.
 12. The server ofclaim 11, wherein the web server application of the portable devicecomprises the software application, and wherein the portable device isselected from a group consisting of: a portable telephone; a cellulartelephone; a cordless telephone; a media player; a gaming console; apersonal digital computer; personal computer; a tablet computer; and alaptop computer.
 13. The server of claim 11, wherein the mediacommunications services between the portable device and the mediaprocessor conform to a multimedia retrieval markup language.
 14. Theserver of claim 11, wherein the identifier of the gateway comprises afirst internet protocol address assigned to the gateway.
 15. The serverof claim 11, wherein the web server application corresponds to ahypertext transfer protocol server application operating in the portabledevice.
 16. A computer-readable storage device, comprising computerinstructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, causethe processor to perform operations comprising executing a web serverapplication in a mobile device server, wherein the web serverapplication causes a media processor to invoke a software application inthe mobile device server by transmitting a message to a remote server inresponse to detecting the media processor, wherein the message istransmitted by way of a gateway in wireless communication with themobile device server, wherein the mobile device server supports voicecommunications over a cellular communication system, wherein the messagecomprises a first internet protocol address located in a hypertexttransfer protocol header of the message, and an identifier of a softwareapplication associated with a second internet protocol address, andwherein the transmitting of the message to the remote server causes theremote server to perform second operations comprising: establishingcommunications with the media processor by way of the first internetprotocol address; and directing the media processor to invoke thesoftware application in the mobile device server by way of the secondinternet protocol address, wherein the web server application receives arequest from the media processor to execute the software application byway of the second internet protocol address, and wherein the web serverapplication executes the software application to establish mediacommunication services between the mobile device server and the mediaprocessor.
 17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, whereinthe mobile device server comprises a device selected from a groupconsisting of: a portable telephone; a cellular telephone; a cordlesstelephone; a media player; a gaming console; a personal digitalcomputer; a personal computer; a tablet computer; and a laptop computer,and wherein the media processor comprises a set-top box, a computer, agaming console or a media player.